WRB-2.0

Adult size Bluegill are not a preferred prey fish, too spiny to swallow. Perch are usually in the prey mix where bluegill are abundant and easier for bass to feed on, plus perch are pelagic fish that move around. I would be surprised if crawdads are not in the mix of prey. So many choices so little time! Tom

^^^^^your site history is more the qualified ^^^^^ If members can’t see the FleaMarket items for sale it’s a waste of time to list items for sale! Understand the need to be a member for the original listing. Tom

It’s how the lure is retrieved and you can jerk retrieve the original Rapala minnow. What changed the jerk bait definition is suspending minnow lures like Smithwick Rogue. The Rogue would “walk the dog” underwater and stay at the depth you started. This created the “jerk” bait category, before this they were called “rip” baits. The Japanese refined the lures with Lucky Craft Pointers followed by Megbass with new shape 110. To effectively walk the dog jerk bait you rod should be around 6’8” MF that allows the downward jerk motion. For what it’s worth the old Smithwick Suspending Rogue catches a lot of to this day. Tom

Most 10 lb bass caught by anglers who estimate the weight weigh 7 lbs on a scale! This will sound silly at 1st but to catch the biggest bass in your pond/small lake you must fish for them. The first thing I do is determine what is the primary prey source and where is that prey located. The big bass are located near the prey source. Use lures that mimic the prey the bass are eating where they are located. Now you are fishing for big bass. Focus your time during pre spawn for big bass, NWFlorida that could be in December-January. Tom

I use the same casting motion with BSF as standard baitcasting combo’s. When I was casting big swim baits with 8’ long rods always used 2 handed casting and further backwards motion plus shoulder turn to launch the heavy lures maximum distance. It takes a lot more energy to cast heavy long rods and big lures to load up the rod, so you developed a casting motion that works for you. Watch Glenn May cast he ha s very good casting motion. Tom

30 years ago I was at the top of my career working with state of the art products and developing state of the art parts and materials. Coincidently that same time period was also the height of my giant bass catching period. Why? Analytical thinking and problem solving carried over to catching bass few others were. I could “see” the answers to the problems that needed solving and needed all my experience to the thoughts to practical use. At that time having spent decades on the local lakes I could “see” where the giant bass should be located just need to solve what those bass would eat that wasn’t live bait*. Every component of my tackle and boat positioning was thought out not random to achieve one goal, catch those giant bass. Today I have lost that edge to focus, not challenged to solve questions I no longer have. Arrow or Indian….it takes both and skill to hit the target. Tom *I was against using live bait for pre spawn bass.

Probably off topic but you can’t make people to use common sense. I fished a lot of local tournaments and had the mandatory equipment. The item I had was a certified PPD and only wore it when launching the boat at take off because I had to. My PFD made a seat cushion and I know better. Doing the safe thing takes discipline to establish a routine habit. As a racer I always wore my safety equipment because I would loose my insurance and license without it, it was mandatory. If Bass tournaments made wearing the PFD when the big engine is running or a kayak at all times mandatory DQ’d without it everyone would comply. Tom

I talk to your local DNR or whomever is responsible to manage the lake. The aquatic plants will die back during the winter a good time for some habitats restoration. Tom

Glenn how about doing a BSF Video? Another excellent video👍. The advice casting away from a surface feeding bass is a hidden jewel. I try to see the fish tail and cast away for it figuring the bass is going forward towards where the lure should land. Tom

Hook gap size and wire diameter (thickness) are 2 separate elements regarding hooks. The topic gets complex in hurry. Barlows Tackle catalog is a good reference source that lists hook wire diameter along with size and type. In general the larger wire diameter hooks are designed for stronger line; ie flipping hooks. Where finesse hooks usually designed with smaller diameter wire for smaller diameter line. Then there are standard hooks designed for general use and line size with medium diameter wire. These are the commonly used hooks be bass anglers. Wire diameter by itself doesn’t determine the hook size, sharpness, strength or type. Those are the factors that separate specific hook manufactures. Worm or soft plastics have design elements to the front end close to the hook eye, barbs, pins etc., to prevent the soft plastic sliding down the hook shank filling the gap an covering the hook point. Wide gap hooks help to resolve this with wider gap per hook size. The down size is the wide gap isn’t as strong as a standard gap hook with equal wire diameter. Look for hooks with forged wire bend at the gap, the flattened wire is stronger then round wire. Use soft plastic hooks with minimum 2 times the soft plastic body diameter. Use sharp hooks. Tom

True, Voltaren is an option. Tom

Let’s talk BSF with your experiences. So far I started with them Falcon BSF rod 7’2” that is a good ML casting rod but limited to lures 1/8 oz up to 3/8 oz+. Excellent rod with good components at a $250 price point. As noted earlier I coupled this rod with Ark Limited Ed reel that imo is a very good BSF reel at the lower end price point $150. After looking at several BSF rods that can cast 1/16 to 1/8 oz lures effectively the Phenix 7’1 light is closer to a BSF rod. This rod doesn’t have the back bone to handle bass near cover but can control bass in open water easily. The high end Shimano Aldebaran BSF reel is affordable at JDM sites about $280. This reel doesn’t have finite tuning but doesn’t need it and easily cast 1/16 ox to oz lures and should be a good high end BSF reel coupled to the Phenix BSF rod. Swap the Falcon rod and Aldebaran BSF reel for ML finesse bass fishing and Phenix rod with Ark reel for light BSF combo. Tom

Piece of indoor/outdoor carpet should work, easy to roll up and store. Tom

Advil is better for relief for Arthritis in my experience. Tom

If I lived closer would buy your pride and joy if only had a garage to store her in🥲. Tom

The only living rubber jigs I use are Lefty’s Puff Ball*. Living rubber has more movement then silicone skirts and fall slower at given jig weight and more compact size. Silicone skirts fold back onto its self with nearly no movement of the fall. Hair does the same thing as silicone but flares out when the jig stops. The big difference is color choices, silicone is nearly unlimited. With living rubber and hair the color choices a limited. The trailer adds the color and most of the movement for any jig. Tom * Mark makes both living rubber and silicone skirt strips.

Golden Shiner fishing bass fishing in Florida is a big business with guides taking out tourist daily. The guides do this because it’s a sure thing or as close to it as it gets. Why a skilled bass angler believes they need Golden Shiners to catch bass is beyond me. Tom

Never had an issue with freezing hands while fishing. Waterfowl hunting sitting in a duck blind hands and feet get cold🥶. We used Jon-E hand warmers kept in the parka front poach to warm the hands and heavy wool socks for the feet. Today you have good options with electric warmers and chemical warmers* that last all day for your hands and feet😀. I am not on the water long enough to get uncomfortably cold and keep my core, face, head warm and fishing gloves I am good. Tom *Hot Hands, AI top rated.

I haven’t kept up with patent law since retiring 10 years ago. Back then 8 countries made up the international patent group. Japan was the only Asian country and 6 Western European counties and USA. NDA’s, trade secrets, trade names and patents are not honored by China and other Asians countries. You go to those counties and give all protection for manufactured products. Tom

^^^^this^^^^ Tom

Rules for thy not for me! Tom

Gary Dobyns is a special man and the reason his rod business was successful. Gary is the guy who would give you the shirt off his back. Gary taught more bass anglers angers how to safety drive their bass boats if they ask him about chine walking for example, he loved to help others and went out of his way to do it. I remember when Gary decided to have Lamiglas build application specific rods as a business. I was talking to Don Iovino who at that time had his Doodling rods made by Phenix and was considering changing to Lamiglas. My relationship with Lamiglas was over a 35 years and highly recommended them. I remember telling Gary his business plan offering a wide range of application specific rods wouldn’t work. I was wrong with crow feathers sticking out my mouth. Gary always loved to hunt and that is what he is doing now. Tom

What rod do you have? Tom

Most of what you read regarding bass fishing is related to man made reservoirs with shad populations. If you are fishing those types of impoundments follow the baitfish works. Water temperature drop of about 10 degrees over a few weeks sets off a change in the ecosystem coupled with shorter day light the aquatic plant growth forces prey to abandon dying plants, this trigger predators like bass to feed on the exposed prey sources. Active grouped up bass are easier to catch when you can locate them. Tom

Yamamoto 301 is GP w/black-green-purple flake, 331 is GP w/black-purple-copper flake. Both are good! Tom